Musical instrument



April 9, 1935. J. JAKSHA 3 1,997,522

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 9, 1935.

J. JAKSHA MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Nov. 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in musical instruments and has for its primary object to provide a novel construction and arrangement through the medium of which chimes may be played in the manner of conventional upright or grand pianos.

Another important object of the invention is to provide novel means for mounting the chimes on the sounding boards of upright or grand pianos for engagement by the usual hammers of said pianos.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the embodiment of the invention which is intended for upright pianos.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section, showing the means for mounting the chimes on the supporting bracket.

Figure 4 is a detail view in front elevation of one of the chimes.

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of the embodiment of the invention which is for use in grand pianos.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral I designates the usual sounding board of an upright piano. Mounted vertically on the sounding board I is a metallic bracket which is designated generally by the reference numeral 2. The bracket 2 includes an apertured plate 3 which is secured to the sounding board I, as at 4, the upper portion 5 of said plate being offset, as at 6, from the sounding board. At its top, the plate 3 terminates in a forwardly extending flange 1.

The flange 1 is provided with a series of apertures for the reception of headed pins 8 (see Figure 3) through the medium of which chimes 9 are mounted on the bracket 2 forwardly of the sounding board for engagement by the piano hammers (not shown). The chimes 9 are of polygonal cross section and said chimes are formed from any suitable metal. As best seen in Figure 5 3 of the drawings, the treble chimes are arranged in pairs, as at I0.

In Figure 5 of the drawings, the reference numeral ll designates the horizontally mounted sounding board of a grand piano. In this form 10 of the invention, the bracket 2 is mounted horizontally in spaced relation above the sounding board H on supporting rods or bolts I2 which pass between the chimes 9, said chimes 9 being mounted beneath the bracket 2.

Broadly stated, it may be said that the chimes 9 including, of course, the treble chimes H1, take the place of the usual piano strings for engagement by the piano hammers. The construction and arrangement is such that the chimes may be 20 mounted in various types or makes of pianos without the necessity of materially altering said pianos. The treble chimes l!) are arranged in pairs for volume.

It is believed that the many advantages of a 25 musical instrument in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction 30 and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In a musical instrument of the type including 35 a horizontal sounding board, supports rising from the sounding board, a bracket mounted on the supports above the sounding board in spaced, opposed relation thereto, said bracket including 2. depending flange extending at right angles to the 40 sounding board, and chimes mounted on the flange and extending horizontally therefrom between the bracket and the sounding board.

JOSEPH JAKSHA. 

